Dr. J. Vernon McGee :: Notes for Micah

OUTLINE Outline for Micah

MICAH

WRITER: Micah. His name means Who is like Jehovah? The word has the same derivation as Michael, which means Who is like God? There are many Micahs in Scripture, but this one is identified as a Morasthite (Micah 1:1) since he was an inhabitant of Moresheth-gath (Micah 1:14), a place about twenty miles southwest of Jerusalem, near Lachish. He is not to be confused with any other Micah of Scripture.

TIME: Micah was a contemporary of Isaiah and prophesied during the reigns of Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah (Micah 1:1). He was younger than Isaiah, and his prophecy might be called a miniature Isaiah or Isaiah in shorthand, since there are striking similarities. Ewald and Wellhausen attacked the unity of this book. It is the same attack that has been made against Isaiah.
The ministry of Micah was directed to both Jerusalem and Samaria (Micah 1:1), and he evidently saw the captivity of the Northern Kingdom.

THEME: The judgment and redemption of God, Micah 7:18.

Who is a God like unto thee, who pardoneth iniquity, and passeth by the transgression of the remnant of his heritage? He retaineth not his anger forever, because he delighteth in mercy.

God hates sin, but He loves the souls of the sinners.

STYLE: For many this is the favorite of the Minor Prophets. The writing is pungent and personal. Micah was trenchant, touching, and tender. He was realistic and reportorial — he would have made a good war correspondent. There is an exquisite beauty about this brochure, which combines God’s infinite tenderness with His judgments. There are several famous passages that are familiar to the average Christian. Through the gloom of impending judgment, Micah saw clearly the coming glory of the redemption of Israel.

COMMENTS: Micah pronounced judgment on the cities of Israel and on Jerusalem in Judah. These centers influenced the people of the nation. Micah condemns urban problems that sound very much like our present-day problems: violence, corruption, robbery, covetousness, gross materialism, and spiritual bankruptcy. He could well be labeled “the prophet of the city.”

OUTLINE: The more natural division of the prophecy is to note that Micah gave three messages, each beginning with the injunction, “Hear” (Mic 1:2, 3:1, 6:1).
The first was addressed to “all people”; the second was addressed specifically to the leaders of Israel; the third was a personal word of pleading to Israel to repent and return to God.